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 After Congress in 2003 created the do-not-call registry shielding millions of people from those dinnertime interruptions from telemarketers, the Federal Trade Commission wrote rules requiring consumers to re-register their phone numbers every five years.
The new legislation would eliminate that requirement by making the list permanent. At the same time, it requires the FTC to periodically remove numbers that have been disconnected and reassigned.
A second bill passed by the House makes permanent a funding system under which the FTC collects fees from telemarketers to operate the registry. Consumers participate in the registry free of charge.
Some 146 million people have signed up for the do-not-call list. "This might quite possibly be one of the most popular laws and government initiatives in our nation's history," said Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C.
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 Both bills passed on voice votes. They still need Senate approval.
The registry extension bill is
H.R. 3541.
The funding extension bill is
H.R. 2601.
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On the Net:
Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov/
[Associated
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